When I saw the trailer for VHS a few months ago, I saw the promise of a pretty scary looking movie. Although it takes the very overused concept of ‘found footage’ for its basis, it also used a tried and true method of the ‘anthology’ with several stories in the film tied together through one main plot.
VHS stars a cast of unknowns in five segments directed by up and coming horror directors. The anchor of the film’s plot centers on a group of young delinquents who get hired to break into a house and steal a videotape. Once in the house, they discover a dead body, and a mountain of videos each containing disturbing and inexplicable occurrences.
It wouldn’t be cool to spoil the five stories that are contained in VHS, or what happens to the group that discovers the tapes in the first place. I will sum it up by saying the effects in every story are very well done, ranging from creepy to downright gory gruesome. The handheld camera style used is a bit unsettling at times if you don’t like that shaky video look…
Each vignette also rides a spectrum of bizarre to vey creepy, although never as scary as I’d hoped or the trailer promised.
VHS is currently available On Demand BEFORE its theatrical release in October. Watch the very effective trailer HERE:
In "The Last Stand", ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER plays the sheriff of a border town who has to help the FBI stop a drug baron and his gang from getting to Mexico with a hostage. It's his first starring role since "Terminator 3" in 2003 and it hits theaters in January.
The movie co-stars JOHNNY KNOXVILLE, FOREST WHITAKER and LUIS GUZMAN.
Meanwhile, Arnold hits theaters TONIGHT in "The Expendables 2", and he says one of the things that makes the movie interesting for fans is that the stars all have, quote, "HUGE EGOS." He says, quote, "We competed against each other in the '80s and the '90s and in the last 10 years, even though I was out of it for eight years doing the governorship. "But still it was always a competition . . . who has the biggest muscles, the best fight scenes, the best punch, who has the biggest gun, who kills people in the most unique way. The people know that."
I've had many people ask what I thought about THE DARK KNIGHT RISES..I'd write down what I've said, but then you wouldn't get to hear the hilariious voices that go along with it, because they are important to the review! Listen the podcast movie review at the link! Don't worry...I don't give away any big secrets about the movie, and wait till you see Anne Hathaway in that catsuit hunched over the bat-cycle! Va Va VOOM!!
And here's a 13 minute behind the scenes on the film featuring some brief clips and interviews with the cast.
PETER O TOOLE announced he’s retiring from acting, just weeks before his 80th birthday. I’ve been a fan of the man since I was a kid.
My parents loved the film LAWRENCE OF ARABIA so I had seen bits and pieces of the Oscar winning epic when they would watch it on network television. It wasn’t until I was a teenager, however , that I learned to truly appreciate Peter O’Toole in two of my favorite films he starred in THE STUNT MAN (1980) and MY FAVORITE YEAR (1982).
Both of these films were behind the scenes show business stories, one about movies, and one about live television back in the 1950’s. Peter was nominated for multiple awards for BOTH films, and they are only two of the films I’ve loved him in out of many.
THE STUNT MAN feature O’Toole as Eli Cross, a controlling film director who ends up helping a fugitive on the run by having him replace a dead stunt man. Very entertaining performance from O’Toole and an interesting (if at times a little unrealistic) look at how complicated it can be on a movie set. Peter was nominated for an Oscar (He’s been nominated for EIGHT)
MY FAVORITE YEAR features a hilarious turn by Peter O’Toole as famous swashbuckling film actor Alan Swann who’s lined up to guest star on a live television comedy/variety show. The problem is, he drinks…a lot. Lots of slapstick and good one liners in this one..which brought O’Toole back in the spotlight. He was AGAIN nominated for an Oscar..but did not win.
At the link check out a list of what most consider his ten best roles…I agree. Also keep in mind he was working in more recent films like RATATOUILLE, and TROY. I kind of hope he still has a few left in him that will call him back.
It's a movie version of the Broadway musical, based on the rock and hair-band music of the '80s and directed by the guy who did"Hairspray".
--Tom Cruise plays a rock star doing a farewell concert at the club where his career began, to keep it from being shut down. And he does all his own singing.
--The two main characters are played by"Dancing with the Stars" minx Julianne Hough, and an unknown named Diego Boneta. They both dream of becoming singers, but he gets to be Tom's opening act and she gets to be a stripper.
--It also stars Paul Giamatti as Tom's manager, Alec Baldwin and Russell Brand as the guys running the club, Catherine Zeta Jones as the repressed housewife trying to shut them down, and Mary J. Blige as the owner of the local strip joint.
If you listen to the show regularly, you’ve heard my impression of Liam Neeson, he appears to be in the news frequently because he’s in every other movie that comes out these days.
Fact is, I used to not really be a fan of Neeson’s..he never played the lead in a movie before Schindler’s List that I could take seriously . He had small roles in some of my old school favorites like EXCALIBUR , THE MISSION and KRULL, but DARKMAN was the first starring role I saw..and honestly I thought that movie was pretty stupid (sorry fans).
He was great in SCHINDLERS LIST..but after that he made two movies I despised; BEFORE AND AFTER (made in Massachusetts) and..ahem..get ready..STAR WARS EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE. Granted he did what he could in that one..at least the dreadful THE HAUNTING had a hot CATHERINE ZETA-JONES.
Moving on however, he’s really made a comeback the past decade or so starring in several movies I thoroughly enjoyed. BATMAN BEGINS, GANGS OF NEW YORK, LOVE ACTUALLY (guilty pleasure chick flick), and of course…TAKEN. A recent favorite THE GREY is out on Blu-Ray and DVD..I highly recommended that one on the show when it was in theaters.
I wasn’t particularly a fan of CLASH OF THE TITANS, didn’t see the WRATH sequel, and honestly…didn’t see THE A-TEAM.
LIAM appears to still plugging along with his muddled American accent impression (He’s actually Irish) in two huge movies still to come this year this summers DARK KNIGHT RISES and..not surprisingly TAKEN 2. Yes I’ll be there for both.
I’ve included for your enjoyment three of my favorite LIAM NEESON moments; the phone call from the kidnappers in TAKEN, a HILARIOUS comedy scene from HBO’s LIFE’s TOO SHORT, and a scene from THE GREY.
This will be a slightly difficult movie to review as I feel the less you know and expect..the more satisfying PROMETHEUS will be for you. However, I can say without hesitation I really enjoyed the movie, and can’t wait for it to be released so I can see it again in IMAX 3D. I haven’t said that about another film in a long time, but the scope of PROMETHEUS and it’s already great 3D will actually be even better in IMAX.
To begin, if you have been living in a cave or are just not interested at all…you may not know what PROMETHEUS is..it’s a film from RIDLEY SCOTT, director of BLADE RUNNER, GLADIATOR, and the original ALIEN among others. ALIEN would be the most important relatable work here as PROMETHEUS takes place in the same universe.
PROMETHEUS , in short form is about a mission to space to discover what may be the origin of the human race. This mission doesn’t find what’s expected, and instead discovers something that could destroy life as we know it.
Now…let me answer the question I’ve been asked the most since revealing I saw the film: Is PROMETHEUS a prequel to ALIEN? Well…yes it clearly is. Even though PROMETHEUS has it’s own story that is separate from the ALIEN storyline, the events in PROMETHEUS directly cause the events in ALIEN. I don’t want to say too much more about how the films ties together, or what is or isn’t shown..but as for myself, I was not disappointed. The scares and atmosphere of the original film are paid a decent homage and those faithful to ALIEN will be happy.
PROMETHEUS is the most epic sci-fi film I’ve ever seen, in terms of how huge it looks and how realistic the special effects appear on the screen. The landscapes, spaceship sets and (mild spoiler) creatures never hinted at CGI. I’m not a big fan of 3D films, mainly because the glasses dim the screen by at least 25 percent. This was the first film that was just as bright with glasses as without..and the three dimensions looked great.
Everyone in the cast did a terrific job from NOOMI RAPACE (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Trilogy)as the archaeologist whose discovery sparks the mission to space,CHARLIZE THERON as the representative of the Weyland Corporation funding the project that may or may not have a hidden agenda..and especially good is MICHAEL FASSBENDER (X-Men: First Class) as the android DAVID…nearly stealing every scene he’s in
PROMETHEUS is almost like two different films..the first half being more a sense of wonder and discovery, and the second half going pure science fiction horror. It also contains a fairly gory scene a third of the way through that will make a lot of women cringe.
I can’t imagine another movie (including the upcoming THE DARK KNIGHT RISES) being as satistfying as PROMETHEUS was for me…just don’t go in expecting ALIEN again. . Yes they clearly set the film up for a sequel, and may have raised questions in the process of answering others..but I’m okay with that…
The ability of the studio to keep most of the film a secret means there haven’t been many clips from PROMETHEUS, however I’ve included the international trailer for the film (which give you a real sense of what to expect,big scenes, scary situations..and more.)
A group called the Little People of America is upset with the makers of "Snow White and the Huntsman" for using average-sized actors to play the dwarfs.
--Those actors include Ian McShane from "Deadwood", Nick Frost from "Shaun of the Dead" and Bob Hoskins from "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". They were shrunk with the help of digital technology.
--A representative from the group says Hollywood needs to start casting little people more frequently . . . quote, "This means both casting people with dwarfism as characters that were specifically written to be played by little people . . . and other roles that would be open to people of short stature."
Kristen Stewart is Snow White, "Thor's"Chris Hemsworth is the Huntsman, and Charlize Theron is the evil Queen. The queen sucks the life out of people to stay young, and she wants to eat Snow White's heart so she can live forever. In this version of the fairytale, the huntsman teaches Snow how to fight so she can lead an army to overthrow the Queen. Some of the dwarves include shorter versions of Bob Hoskins, Ian McShane, and "Shaun of the Dead's"Nick Frost. The Prince is played by Sam Claflin, the mermaid-loving missionary from the fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie.
There's a new movie in the works called "The Butler". It's about Eugene Allen, a real-life White House butler who worked for eight different presidents. And they've got some pretty interesting actors lined up to play those presidents and their wives. For starters, they're going to try to pass off MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY as JFK. Makes perfect sense. Everyone knows whenever JFK wasn't singlehandedly saving the world from nuclear war, he was furiously attempting to make a bong out of a pineapple. MINKA KELLY will play his wife JACKIE. JOHN CUSACK will play RICHARD NIXON. ALAN RICKMAN of "Harry Potter" fame will play RONALD REAGAN and JANE FONDA is playing his wife NANCY. By the way, the REAL Nancy Reagan is recovering from a fall in which she broke several ribs. She's 90 years old. LIAM NEESON is RUMORED to be playing LYNDON JOHNSON. OPRAH WINFREY is playing the butler's wife and it looks like FOREST WHITAKER will be playing the butler.
The movie is being directed by LEE DANIELS of "Precious" fame.
Let me begin by saying that TIM BURTON..is his own worst enemy. I consider his early films, BEETLEJUICE, PEE WEES BIG ADVENTURE, EDWARD SCISSORHANDS etc..some of my favorites. One of the things I loved about them is they didn’t look like big budget expensive FX filled flicks.
As the years go by, and his allowance of budget has grown in Hollywood, I believe that creativity has suffered in CGI and reinvention. Although they are all visually stunning..they seem pushed out of a Tim Burton knock off factory. Tim Burton (and Johnny Depp quite frankly) are capable of WAY better.
NOW…let’s move on to DARK SHADOWS which I will say is at least, far better than the last three or four films Burton has released. I had no prejudice or expectations about DARK SHADOWS whether it was a comedy or a serious take on the original..as long as I was entertained and it was fun. I think it was..but not sure it’s for everyone.
Johnny Depp ‘s white makeup..(although I wasn’t thrilled about it)..was very cool looking in the film. I have to give Depp credit too, I thought this would be another cake walk of a role he’s played too many times ..but he was very funny. The best scenes in the film are the ones that feature the rest of the Collin’s family: Michelle Pfeiffer, Chloe Moretz, Johnny Lee Miller, and Burtons Wife Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Hoffman. Jackie Early Haley (Nightmare on Elm Street’s FREDDY in the remake) is also humorous as Willy the drunk groundskeeper and Eva Green (with a evil toothy grin) is the villainess ANGELIQUE who turned Barnabus into a vampire . Newcomer Bella Heathcoate is Victoria Winters, Depp’s love interest.
The sets, from the seaside town of Collinsport ,Maine to Collinwood manor were very cool to look at, and the interior of the house and amazing costumes have classic Burton style. The film definitely could’ve been better and I wasn’t crazy about one turn a character takes towards the end of the film..but frankly I was glad it wasn’t awful and I think it’s probably going to do well. I did laugh several times during it, and the crowd seemed genuinely happy at the end.
I’ve included two clips from the film that may help you decide if DARK SHADOWS is for you. One features the Collins Family and Barnabus, the other Barnabus and Chloe Moretz ..who I LOVED in KICK ASS.
Take a long haired blonde Norse DemiGod, a giant green guy with anger issues, an old school hero over 60 years out of touch, a cocky millionaire genius, an assassin with bow and arrow, and... well... a chick in a tight leather outfit and you have a quick way to sum up THE AVENGERS.
Already a comic book geek and nerd movie dream come true, THE AVENGERS will surely be a record breaker at the box office for weeks to come... but is it worthy of it?
I saw the film a couple of weeks before its opening, and went in trying not to have too huge of an expectation. I liked most of the MARVEL heroes movies on their own, AND was excited that the character of THOR’s brother LOKI (Tom Hiddleston, my favorite part of the THOR to begin with) was the villain.
First…here’s what I feel were the good points (without being too “spoilery”) about THE AVENGERS.
There are several action scenes where one AVENGER ends up fighting one or more of the others, these are great scenes with very well done effects.
Anytime humor was used in the film (which was frequently) everyone got a big laugh.
Special effects galore that were fantastic and really utilized in the 3D format very well.
The conversations between Chris Evan’s Captain America not understanding any modern references, Chris Helmsworth’s THOR talking down to everyone like a God, and Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark being a smart-ass worked on so many levels.
Mark Ruffalo’s as the big screen’s third incarnation of Dr.Banner/THE HULK was my favorite take on the character so far. His reserved, nerdy, uncomfortable scientist was worlds away from Ed Norton or Eric Bana in their versions.
THE HULK. When he finally makes his appearance in the film, it’s a lot of fun and the massive battle between THE AVENGERS, and an army of otherworldly invaders is spectacular.
NOW..the negatives…
Scarlett Johanssen as BLACK WIDOW (Natasha Romanov). Sure she’s nice to look at, and they certainly took advantage of her hip-hugging costume, but with the exception of her opening scene, and scenes where she is kicking ass, she was kind of a waste of time in the movie.
Jeremy Renner (HAWKEYE) similar situation as Johanssen here. Any scene where he wasn’t fighting, he really weighed down the movie. You could practically hear the audience groan in the scenes where Renner and Johanssen had scenes together. It really put the brakes on an otherwise bullet-train of a flick.
Wearing 3D glasses. While actually having them on doesn’t bother me…it’s the difference in brightness of the screen that does. Most of us are used to HD pictures at home, and with the digital screens they have at the multiplexes now, it’s almost a waste to go put on glasses that diminish the light of the film by like 40 percent. I kept thinking, “Wow the 3D looks great, I just wish it were as bright as it is with my glasses off!”
Two final things to note about the film, I did like it a lot. I just didn’t want to reveal too much about it as to keep everyone excited about the unknown. I look forward to seeing it on BLU-RAY. Finally, YES there is a scene at the end of the movie that sets up a sequel so don’t run out of the theater until AFTER the names of the cast go by.
I have decided to be generous and include two clips from the film here. One, of a battle between THOR and IRON MAN, and the other is a portion of the first (and in my opinion, the only really good scene) with BLACK WIDOW. Enjoy… NERDS.
Based on the real life story of AHL Moncton Hawks ice brawler, Doug “The Hammer” Smith, comes Michael Dowse’s new movie Goon. The films brings us into the black and blue world of the professional hockey enforcer. Loved by die hards, hated by commissioners, and forgotten by the rest, the enforcer hasn’t always played the most crucial role in the game, but it has undeniably been a contributing factor to the success of almost every team.
Early into the film we’re introduced to Doug Glatt (Sean William Scott), a simpleminded Massachusetts dive bar bouncer with a puddle for a brain and a brick for a fist. His father (Eugene Levy) and brother are both doctors who continuously question his current career choices. His best friend Ryan (Jay Barchel) hosts his own local access hockey program. Everyone around him seems to have found their niche in life and Doug continues to struggle to find out exactly what it is he was meant to do. That’s until Ryan decides to take him to one of the local town hockey club games. After one of the hometown players rushes the stands towards Ryan for his relentless heckling, Doug stands up in defense, and puts a beating on him worse than Bobby ever did Whitney. The fight brings Doug to the attention of the local hockey coaches and eventually leads him on to the Halifax semi-professional “farm team”. While he struggles to skate but continues to break noses, Doug believes he has finally found his niche in playing hockey, at least until his coach Ronnie (Kim Coates) reminds him that “you’re not here to play hockey! You’re here to fight!”
The story line seems just as simple and dimwitted as it’s main character, and the series of events could be predicted by anyone just as clueless as Toronto GM Brian Burke. The writing is effortlessly boring and the film basically flat lines somewhere around the thirty minute mark. Sean William Scott does a great job of playing a quirky and seemingly autistic love child that only could have been birthed from a caveman and Forrest Gump. The movie lacks the emotional connection that is needed to keep a common audience invested. However, this kind of opinion is only directed toward those who haven’t watched anything more than the NHL playoffs for the past 5 years.
For the rest of us who continue to re-enforce the foundation of North American hockey, this movie brings to light one of the most important and entertaining parts of the game - the blood. It’s a story about a sports sub-culture that is continuously ridiculed and disregarded. Goon is a sports story that has gone untouched until now. Ultimately this film should be considered a bio-piece to those who have given up their blood and teeth for the sport. The same way Paul Newman brought pride to the minor league teams of America in Slapshot, Sean William Scott brings pride to any player who’s willingly spilled blood on the ice to any team they have had the privilege to call home.
Over priced visual effects, cheap scripting, and a blatant disregard for the intelligence of the audience, the film is a distilled version of the first edition (Wrath of the Titans) and it brings nothing new to the table. It’s hard to watch Sam Worthington continue to please studio executives while producing another shallow acting role that will be completely ignored by the rest of humanity.
The Jonathan Liebseman (Battle Los Angeles) directed film is a black hole of false mythology, cheap profit, and over exaggerated special effects. The sequel film leaves off at a point where, Perseus (Sam Worthington), the demi-god of Zues (Liam Neeson), and the defeater of “The Kraken”, is living a simple fisherman life with his 10 year old son. That is until he is visited by his father and begged to aid in the fight against Hades (Ralph Fiennes), and Super-God, Cronus. It comes as no surprise that Perseus wants nothing to do with the battle until the uprising of Hades’ Underworld finally reaches his son and home village. From the attack on his son Helius, his father Zeus, and his current home, Perseus gets reeled back into the family business of repressing a Godly and apocalyptic meltdown.
Liebseman does a fine job of turning the Godly and action packed fight sequences into the only watchable part of the movie. I was genuinely kept awake when Perseus was face to face with the snot covered Taurus or when he was battling the family of Cyclopes. But it’s the only form of entertainment that truly surfaces itself through the entire movie. It almost becomes a chore to try and involve yourself within the conflicts of the main characters. Perseus again tires to fight the likes of mythological figures while trying to convey a sense of heroic notability. However, when it comes to Sam Worthington’s relationship with any of the other characters it felt hollow and emotionless. It was clear from the beginning that “Wrath” took a much more simpler approach to Greek mythology than the original Clash of the Titans did.
This film took no steps in separating itself from anything except a sequel. The CGI was almost too much to handle while the acting and dialogue slowly turned into a combination of a bad soap opera and a middle school play.
Perseus embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, who has been targeted for capture by his traitorous son, Ares, and his brother, Hades.
Director: Jonathan Liebesman Stars: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Rosamund Pike, Ralph Fiennes
The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)
Animation | Adventure | Family
Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.
Directors: Peter Lord | Jeff Newitt Stars: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Brendan Gleeson
Goon (2011)
Comedy | Sport
Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.
Director: Michael Dowse Stars: Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Eugene Levy
The Deep Blue Sea (2011) - [limited]
Drama | Romance
The wife of a British Judge is caught in a self-destructive love affair with a Royal Air Force pilot.
Director: Terence Davies Stars: Rachel Weisz, Tom Hiddleston, Simon Russell Beale, Karl Johnson
Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match.
Director: Gary Ross
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks
The Raid (2011) - [limited]
101 min - Action
A SWAT team becomes trapped in a tenement run by a ruthless mobster and his army of killers and thugs.
Director: Gareth Evans
Stars: Iko Uwais, Ananda George, Ray Sahetapy, Doni Alamsyah
An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright.
Director: Tarsem Singh
Stars: Lily Collins, Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, Sean Bean
21 Jump Street (2012)
Action | Comedy
A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.
Directors: Phil Lord | Chris Miller
Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Johnny Depp
Butter (2011)
(R) Comedy
In small-town Iowa, an adopted girl discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman in their town's annual contest.
Director: Jim Field Smith
Stars: Jennifer Garner, Yara Shahidi, Ty Burrell, Olivia Wilde
Casa de mi Padre (2012)
(R) Comedy
Scheming on a way to save their father's ranch, the Alvarez brothers find themselves in a war with Mexico's most feared drug lord.
Director: Matt Piedmont
Stars: Will Ferrell, Gael García Bernal, Diego Luna, Nick Offerman
Jeff Who Lives at Home (2011) - [limited]
Comedy
Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.
Directors: Jay Duplass | Mark Duplass
Stars: Jason Segel, Ed Helms, Judy Greer, Susan Sarandon
Based on the real life story of AHL Moncton Hawks ice brawler, Doug “The Hammer” Smith, comes Michael Dowse’s new movie Goon. The films brings us into the black and blue world of the professional hockey enforcer. Loved by die hards, hated by commissioners, and forgotten by the rest, the enforcer hasn’t always played the most crucial role in the game, but it has undeniably been a contributing factor to the success of almost every team. 
Over priced visual effects, cheap scripting, and a blatant disregard for the intelligence of the audience, the film is a distilled version of the first edition (Wrath of the Titans) and it brings nothing new to the table. It’s hard to watch Sam Worthington continue to please studio executives while producing another shallow acting role that will be completely ignored by the rest of humanity. 
